Walking Seminar Den Haag

About the new role of art in public space

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The podcasts are available (for free) on:
www.walkingseminar.stroom.nl

Stroom offers walking enthusiasts a glimpse of the city of the future through four audio tours. During four walks in The Hague, four artists and four scientists take you along in their conversations about urgent themes that are relevant to the city. They reflect on the question "What is the future of public space?" The podcasts/walks are curated by heritage researcher Christian Ernsten and documentary photographer Dirk-Jan Visser made by radiomaker Marten Minkema. Ernsten, Minkema and Visser are the authors of the acclaimed book and podcasts Voorland Groningen. Wandelingen door het Antropoceen.

These are the walks / podcasts:

Water in de stad
City district: Centrum-Segbroek
Distance: 7 km
Language: in Dutch only!
By Henriette Waal (artist, The Hague) and Clemens Driessen (cultural-geographer, Rotterdam).
The starting point for this walk is the project The making visible the source of the Haagse Beek (1992) by artist Krijn Giezen. The Haagse Beek was originally created to provide the Hofvijver with fresh water from its source at Kijkduin, but has since changed dramatically and become polluted. What is the current relationship between water, natural life and the city?

Metabolisme van de stad
City District: Wateringseveld
Distance: 7 km
Language: in Dutch only!
By Anne Geene (artist, Den Haag) and Roy Remme (environmentalist, Utrecht).
This walk starts at the Bomenmuseum (2008) by herman de vries in Wateringse Veld. The artist, whose work focuses on the fractured relationship between man and nature, had 300 different species of trees planted all over this district. Are we sufficiently aware of the regenerative capacity of the green lungs in a city and how the quality of our living environment is affected by the emission of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and particulate matter?

Veiligheid van de stad
City district: Scheveningen
Distance: 4 km
Language: in Dutch!
By Shailoh Phillips (artist, The Hague) and Patricia de Vries (philosopher, Maastricht).
In 2013, the design by Spanish architect and urban planner Manuel de Sola-Morales Rubio made Scheveningen Boulevard more attractive and safer. However, it was only a partial success. The seaside resort attracts more and more people, but women are still intimidated on the street and safety is once again an issue. Therefore, as part of its smart city program, the municipality wants to implement digital tools. In what way can the artist, through digital or traditional techniques, contribute to a feeling of safety in the urban environment?

Colonialism in the city
City District: Center
Distance: 4 km
Language: in English!
By Michelle Piergoelam (artist, Rotterdam) and Nick Shepherd (archeologist, Aarhus).
On how the traces of colonialism play a role in contemporary society. The history of The Hague is closely linked to its colonial past. The Hague Historical Museum and websites such as mappingslavery.nl and pasadopresente.nl emphatically demonstrate this. Partly due to protest movements such as #kickoutzwartepiet and #blacklivesmatter, discussions about our past of slavery and decolonization are now an integral part of our public space. Will this new awareness not only change our view of the city's past, but also have an impact on its future design?